The present invention pertains to slat-type conveyors for movement of a load. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a liquid-tight reciprocating floor construction for load movement.
Conveyors having interleaved slats in general are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,534,875; 4,143,760; and 4,856,645 all issued to Hallstrom; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,708 issued to Foster. U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,875 discloses a slat conveyor having three groups of slats, two of which move simultaneously in a load-conveying direction, while at the same time, the third group moves in the opposite direction. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,143,760 and 4,611,708, three groups of slats all move simultaneously in a first load conveying direction and then each individual group moves sequentially in the opposite direction. U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,645 teaches a slat conveyor having a group of non-moving "dead" slats spaced between two groups of slats that move simultaneously in a load conveying first direction and sequentially in an opposite direction. All of the above slat conveyors suffer from leakage of liquid containing loads through the spacings between the individual slats and through the supporting floor. This leakage is extremely undesirable when toxic waste such as pesticides, paints, and other chemicals, or garbage is being conveyed. As will be readily apparent below, the liquid-tight reciprocating floor construction of the present invention can be employed with any of the slat reciprocation sequences of the above patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,761 discloses a discharge mechanism for discharging particulate loads that includes first and second stoker rods each having a plurality of cross bars. A fixed floor angle is located between each of the cross bars. The first and second stoker rods reciprocate lengthwise, rapidly, and, at the same time but out of phase. Again, the above patent does not disclose a liquid-tight floor construction, and thus suffers from liquid leakage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,492,303; 4,679,686; 4,749,075; and 4,785,929 all issued to Foster disclose various components for reciprocating floor conveyors including hold-down members, bearing systems, and drive/guide systems. However, none of the above references teach a reciprocating floor construction that is liquid-tight.
A need thus exists for a reciprocating floor construction comprised of a plurality of slats slidable on a plurality of stationary liquid-tight bases. The unitary construction of the bases prevents liquid that leaks through the points of contact of each slat and each base from reaching the floor supporting the bases.
The need also exists for the above liquid-tight reciprocating floor construction in which a plurality of bearings cause reciprocation of each slat on each base without compromising the integrity of the base. A need also exists for the above type of liquid-tight reciprocating floor construction in which the base can be fixedly attached to a floor member without causing liquid leakage by compromising the unitary construction of the base.